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Praying the Psalms
In Bread in the Wildemess, Merton looks at the psalms as poetry; in this book he regards them as prayer. Merton guides the reader through the more representative psalms.
Paperback, 48 pages
Published
December 12th 1956
by Liturgical Press
(first published June 1956)
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This was a very disappointing book(let). Published in 1956, it offers the Catholic "party-line" on the Psalms in all ways, dutifully quoting St. Augustine along the way. Family prayers should be led by the father of the family (16), and the Psalms are seen as pre-figuring the life of Christ (35, and passim). There is no voice in this book that sounds like Merton. Either Merton had not yet found his voice, or he was dutifully doing what he was told.
He does emphasize the value of memorizing psalm...more
He does emphasize the value of memorizing psalm...more
Meh. I don't know why I have so little reaction to this book, to be honest; it says very good things in very readable language, and it's very short. Perhaps deliberately stretching this out wasn't a good idea, I don't know. Also, I was reading it in conjunction with Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and he kind of says the same things better. But the thing that I really liked most about this book was Merton's commentary on praise and how praise in excess of all things l...more
Not as deep as I would have liked. Beginning is very good. Addresses some issues. Perhaps it was more groundbreaking when written - still a good place to start for those who are not comfortable with the psalms and want to start prayiing them.
I generally like Merton's writings. However, for a fuller treatment from Merton on the Psalms, read Bread in the Wilderness. This book is kind of a rehash.
Feb 11, 2009
Pete
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people wanting to improve their prayer lives
Small book, huge message. One is immediatly taken by Merton's observation that the psalms were written by people who knew and had experienced God.
It was tough for me to sit still through this.
Good start - too short
Not what I expected, but a great exhortation to know the psalms and to respect them as inspired prayer, and thus our example for prayer. An interesting look at modern Catholicism as well.
A very small devotional type of book, it is good to look at this every once in a while. I also intend to read other writings of Merton's, especially his autobiography (Seven Storey Mountain). The Abbey of Gethsemani in central KY where he spent over 25 years of his life is a wonderful place to visit and retreat.
May 31, 2007
Elisabeth pifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
help praying the office/psalms
Shelves:
religous
a very thoughtful small book reflecting of the psalms into personal prayer
a fun tid-bit of info for me Merton states that before the middle ages apparently the lay people participated in the divine office with the clerices. and chanted the Psalms with them.
a fun tid-bit of info for me Merton states that before the middle ages apparently the lay people participated in the divine office with the clerices. and chanted the Psalms with them.
not what I was hoping for. Maybe the Bonhoeffer book will be more what I was looking for.
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Thomas Merton was one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, in the American state of Kentucky, Merton was an acclaimed Catholic spiritual writer, poet, author and social activist. Merton wrote over 60 books, scores of essays and reviews, and is the ongoing subject of many biographies. Merton was also a proponent of int...more
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